Trash rate increase approved

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council approved an ordinance Monday evening increasing residential and commercial trash collection fees by 50 cents, effective Oct. 1, 2013.

Residential trash collection rates will increase from $18.50 to $19 per month. Commercial waste collection will increase from $57 to $57.50 per ton.

The rate increase will likely be finalized, along with the remainder of the 2013-14 city budget and fiscal year employee pay plan, following their third and final readings scheduled during the Sept. 3 council meeting.

Other items approved Monday by City Council;

* A pair of city owned vehicles were pulled from the annual list of impounded, abandoned and unclaimed vehicles and property, prior to council approving the remainder to be sold at auction. A 2007 Charger and a 2008 Impala were pulled after Councilor Jerry Calvin indicated the vehicles might fetch more from a dealer than at a public auction. The public auction will feature nine vehicles, 12 bicycles and other items. The date the auction will take place has not yet been determined by city staff.

* The land use agreement between the McCook Chamber of Commerce and the City of McCook, pertaining to property at the northeast corner of the intersection of West B and Norris Avenue where the chamber is installing a $25,000 video sign, was approved.

* The 2013-14 fiscal year employee pay plan was approved on its second of three required readings.

* The Mayor's annual appointments and reappointments to local advisory boards and committees were approved. New appointments included Trevor Taylor replacing Ken Allen and Dick Trail replacing Wally Hampton on the Airport Advisory Commission. Sharon Bohling will replace Linda Crandall on the Library Board. Harris "John" Anderson will replace Dee Messinger on the Senior Citizens Advisory Board.

* The city's financial report for the period ending July 31, 2013, was received and filed without comment.

* A change order increasing the expense by $38,939 to install an elevator and additional vestibule at the McCook Public Library was approved. The majority of the increase, $27,220, stems from a fire alarm system not included in the original bid.

* Drawings and bid specifications for the installation of a secondary 16 inch water main from the water treatment facility to the city distribution system was approved. The project involves replacing 6500 linear feet of water main and entails crossing the Republican River via directional drilling. The project will be funded along with three other water improvements projects via the issuance of a $2 million water revenue bond in June. The city qualified for a 20 percent loan forgiveness from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality SRF fund, which will result in more than $417,362 in savings, according to city staff.

* Drawings and bid specifications for the construction of cation storage lagoons at the waste water treatment facility and an unrelated renovation project at the east golf course lift station were approved.

* A request from several McCook families to close West K Street between Norris Avenue and West First Street, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, for a neighborhood labor day celebration, was approved. St. Patrick Catholic Church was also approved to close East Fourth Street, between F and G Streets, and East G Street between Third and Fourth Street, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2013, for their annual fall festival.

* Bull's Bar and Grill was approved for a special liquor license for a reception at the Red Willow County Community Building on Sept. 14, 2013.